Camera tripod head



Dec. 25, 1951 D s, wElsS 2,579,635

CAMERA TRIPOD HEAD Filed Feb. 14, 1949 INVENTOR.

y 5 We is;

Patented Dec. 25, QS

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAMERA TRIPOD HEAD Dewey S. Weiss, Portland, Oreg. Application February 14, 1949, Serial No. 76,324

6 Claims.

The present invention comprises a parallax correcting mounting device for a camera, whereby the usual sighting device of the camera may be employed to pose the subject and then the camera shifted to correct for the displacement of the lens from the sighting device. The invention is of particular utility in close-up work such as in taking portraits, and is designed especially for the amateur cameraman who ordinarily is incapable of correctly compensating for sighting parallax. One form of the present invention is designed to compensate for parallax between a sighting device placed directly above the lens or aperture of the camera, and another form of the device is designed to correct for both vertical and horizontal parallax due to lateral and vertical displacement of the lens or aperture from the sighting device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which is made of relatively sturdy, easily assembled and manufactured parts.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily ascertained by inspection of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, while the features of novelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of a camera mounted on a device of the present invention and illustrating the operation thereof to correct vertical parallax;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale. of the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, with a part broken away, of a modification of the device designed to correct for both horizontal and vertical parallax;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 5-*5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a camera mounted on the form of the device illustrated in Fig. 4,' the view showing the operation of the device.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, my invention comprises a pair of elongated, telescoping elements including a base member I0 adapted to be mounted upon a support such as a tripod, and an extension member II adapted to be attached to and support a camera. The base member I0 preferably comprises an outer, hollow member formed of square, tubular stock. the lower end thereof being closed by arectangular plusr I2 into which is screwed the threaded stem I3 of a member I4 having a disclike head thereon, the stem I3 being provided with an internally threaded opening I5 capable of receiving therein the usual mounting screw found on tripods or similar camera mounts. Although the base member I 0 could be made of one integral piece of material, I prefer to form the base member of the three parts I0,

I2 and I4 and to hold the parts in assembled relation by suitable means such as drift pins I6. It will readily be appreciated that the base member may be mounted upon a tripod I'I, such as illustrated in Fig. 1, and locked in position by the usual jam nut I8 provided on such mounting devices. The inner, telescoping member II may be formed of rectangular bar stock and is provided with an upwardly extending, threaded portion I 9 adapted to be screwed into the bottom of a camera such as camera 2|), the extension being locked to the base of the camera by a jam nut 2I. The extensible members may be held in any selected, relatively adjusted position by suitable means such as a thumbscrew 25 having a threaded stem passing through a vertical slot 26 in one side of .the base member I into a threaded hole (not shown) in the extension member `I I.

When a camera Such as shown in Fig. 2, provided with a sighting device 21 which is vertically spaced above the lens 28, is in the position illustrated in full line, the photographer may align the camera with an object to be photographed at 29, and thereafter the telescoping members may be separated until the objective line through the` lens 28 more nearly approaches the line of sight through the sighting device. It will be appreciated that at infinity the view through lthe sighting device will be the same as the view through the lens. At distances progressively shorter than infinity the camera should be raised amounts progressively increasing in extent and, in order that the unskilled photographer may correctly position the camera, indicating means are preferably provided. In the preferred form the indicating means comprises a window such as window 33 in one face of the member I0 and a scale l such as scale SI on the adjacent face of the extension II, the scale being provided with indicia representative of the distance between the camera and the object being photographed. The indicia could be inscribed upon the member I I, but

I prefer to provide a separate scale having the indicia inscribed thereon which is adapted to be retained in a groove 32 in the face of member Il by separable means such as screws 33. The in- -dicia in either event are so located as to be vis-Y 3 ible in succession through the window 30. As seen in Fig. 2, more than one of the faces of member ll are provided with indicia and more than one of the faces of the base member Il) are provided with Windows past which the indicia may be moved. Therefore, the device may be used by a photographer having a plurality of cameras, each of which must be adjusted to different extents. Having the scales 3l removable and replaceable further adaptsthe device to use with a Wide range of cameras. In order that the photographer may have a reminder as to which scale to employ for the particular camera, one of the members may be provided with indicia 3 5 which represent the particular cameras for which l the scales 3l are provided.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modification o f the,

present invention wherein a base member 40 is provided by mounting a plug 4I adapted -to be attached to a tripod in the lower end of a cylinder. An extension member 42 is telescopically mounted within the base member, and is .provided with a threaded, reduced portion 43 adapted to be screwed into the base of a camera, the mounting device and. the camera being locked together c bythe jam nut d4. The base member is provided with a slot 45 through which extends a threaded pin 4.6 on which is a thumbnut 41. A window 118V an object 53 through the sighting device andthereupon may elevate the .camera until. one of the indiciall, representing the distance between the camera and the object, appears in window 48. The slotLi-. is so arranged as to, partially.

rotate .the extension d2 and .the camera 5t as the members are separated. The .greater the distance :between the camera and the object the less correction, botlrvertically and horizontally,

is. redured, so .the slot .d5 may be vertical, or substantially so, adjacent the base of the mounting. member. The. closer the .object the greater the correction must be, both horizontally and vertically, and, accordingly, the slot is. increas,u ingly .curved toward its upper extremity. With an object close to the camera, as seen in Fig. 5, the camera isnot only raised to nearly the maximum extent permitted but is.. rotated through a substantial arc to the position seen indash lines.

WhileI have hereinabove referred tothe cor.: rection of parallaxat anydistance. shorter than infinity, it is to b e appreciated that the.. present.

inventionisprimarily designed forclcse-ups and portraits, Vsince at any distance beyondabout six feetthe necessityior making porallaxcorrections.

practically disappears. Modern cameras. are

designed with this factin mind, hencethe .viewffinder is s o arranged asto encompass aeldof view coincident with the field .0f the lens at a distance of about six feet. However, at any.

distance shorterthan about; six te,ets.onfle, corrA rection mustbe made for parallax, this ,correcnog pregressi/ely. as the .distance hef.-

tween the lens and the object progressively decreases. Because of the corrective factor of vieWfinders in modern cameras it is not suilcient to shift the camera vertically or horizontally by a distance equal to the distance between the lens and the viewnder, but the correction must be in proportion to the distance to the object. The cameras of each manufacturer, and various different styles of cameras of one manufacturer, will have l dierent corrections therein so that it "becomes necessary to ascertain the degree of correction required for each of a plurality of distances from the camera up to substantially six feet, and to provide an indiciabearing scale or separate mount for each individual camera.

I have herein illustrated clamping means such as a thumbscrew having a threaded stem, or a pin projecting from the extensible member and having its outer extremity threaded for `reception of a thumbnut, but ,other forms of clamping means could .be substituted therefor. Similarly,

other forms of indicating means may be em-.

ployed, and other modifications in arrangement and. .detailshould be apparent to those, skilled in the art. I claim as my invention all such 1. A mounting .device for .Supporting a Camera; in such fashion that i vertical-v and horizontal, parallax betweenfthe camerasighting device and the lens of the camera may be corrected, comev prising a pairof elongated, .telescoping members,

y each projecting. .beyond` the, other. one of said members having an indicator thereon and the other of said members having a plurality of in-` dicia thereon adapted to register successively K with said` indicator as said, members, areshifted bers being relatively rotatable, one of said meme bers having a guideway formed thereon, said guideway curving spirally at an increased rate toward; the end from` which the other of said members projects, and the other of saidv membershaving `a pin thereon projecting into said guideway to rotate saidmembers relative to each other as, they are .shifted longitudinally relative to eachother.

2. Parallax correcting means, for mounting a camera comprising a. pair, of elongated, telef.

scoping, relativelyy rotatable members, one: of`

thereon, said guideway being substantially par allelto the axistof. the member at .oneendand curving s pirally Vtoward its other end, and the` other of; said members having a pin thereonl projecting into saidguidewayto rotate said-membersrelative to each other as they areA shiftedl longitudinally relative to eachother.

.3.. Earallax correcting means for mounting a camera, comprising a pairL of elongated, teler.

scoping, relatively rotatable members, each prio.:

j ectingbeyondthe. other, .oneofwhich isadap-ted to b e mounted inf an upright positionf. upon a.- `sLlrnfnii and the ...other ofV whichis adapted to..

incorporatedv longitudinally relative to each other, said meme,

support a camera, one of said members having a slot therethrough extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, said slot being spirally curved at a progressively increasing rate toward the end from which the other of said members projects, and a thumbscrevv extending through said slot for guiding and clamping said members together.

4. A mounting device for supporting a camera having a sighting device offset both vertically and horizontally from its lens in such fashion that the vertical and horizontal parallax between the camera sighting device and the lens of the camera may be simultaneously corrected, comprising an outer, tubular member adapted to be supported in upright position and being open at the end which is uppermost when so supported, a cylindrical member slidably movable longitudinally of said tubular member and having an end projecting from the open end of said tubular member, means at the projecting end of said cylindrical member for supporting a camera, said outer member having a longitudinally extending slot therethrough Which is curved laterally at an increasing rate from the lower end thereoi` toward said open end, a guide pin projecting from said cylindrical member through said slot, and means to retain said members in any selected position relative to each other, said tubular member having a window opening therein adjacent its upper end and said cylindrical member having a plurality of distance-representing indicia thereon successively' visible through said opening as said members are relatively moved, the curvature of said slot being such as to rotate said camera to correct horizontal parallax as said camera is raised to correct vertical parallax.

5. A mounting device for supporting a camera having a sighting device oiset both vertically and horizontally from its lens in such fashion that the vertical and horizontal parallax between the camera sighting device and the lens of the camera may be simultaneously corrected, comprising an elongated member adapted to be supported in upright position and having a vertical bore therein open at the end which is uppermost when so supported, a cylindrical member slidably movable longitudinally of said tubular member and having an end projecting from the open end of said bore, means at the projecting end of said cylindrical member for supporting a camera, one of said members having a longitudinally extending guideway thereon which is curved laterally at an increasing rate from one end thereof toward the opposite end thereof, a guide pin projecting from the other of said members into said guideway, and means to retain said members in any selected position relative to each other, the curvature of said guidevvay being such as to rotate said camera to correct horizontal parallax as said camera is raised to correct vertical parallax.

6. A mounting device for supporting a camera having a sighting device oiset both vertically and horizontally from its lens in such fashion that the vertical and horizontal parallax between the camera sighting device and the lens of the camera may be simultaneously corrected, comprising an elongated member adapted to be supported in upright position and having a vertical bore therein open at the end which is uppermost when the member is so supported, a cylindrical member slidably movable longitudinally of said elongated member and having an end projecting from the open end of said bore, means at the projecting end of said cylindrical member for supporting a camera, one of said members having a longitudinally extending guideway thereon which is curved laterally at an increasing rate from one end thereof toward the opposite end, a guide pin projecting from the other of said members into said guideway, and means to retain said members in any selected position relative to each other, said elongated member having a Window opening therein and said cylindrical member having a plurality of distance representing indicia thereon successively visible through said opening as said members are relatively moved, the curvature of said guideway being such as to rotate said camera to correct horizontal parallax as said camera is raised tocorrect vertical parallax, said indicia representing distance to the object being photographed but covering a space corresponding to the spacing of the lens and the nder of a particular camera, and said indicia being so arranged that the placing of any one of said indicia corresponding to the distance to the object being photographed in registry with said Window opening results in displacement of the camera by the amount necessary to correct vertical and horizontal parallax.

DEWEY S. WEISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,361,183 Eddy Oct. 24, 1944 2,380,818 Berg July 3l, 1945 2,465,692 Martinson Mar. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 609,962 Germany Mar. 5, 1935 

